About Us
Home to a wide variety of neighborhood-serving businesses
More Than a Place to Shop
Market Creek Plaza isn’t just a shopping center — it’s a community vision brought to life. Once the site of a 20-acre abandoned factory in San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods, the Plaza now serves as a vibrant town center where residents gather, shop, dine, and celebrate the rich cultures that shape this community.
Developed by the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI) in collaboration with local residents, Market Creek Plaza is the result of years of intentional planning, partnership, and community ownership.
Home to a wide variety of neighborhood-serving businesses
A Community-Built Vision
In 1998, JCNI launched a bold effort: to bring local residents into the planning, design, and development process. With over 800 neighborhood surveys collected, the top priorities were clear — residents wanted:
Ownership by the Community
Market Creek Plaza is owned in partnership with hundreds of community investors through Market Creek Partners, LLC. In a groundbreaking move, residents purchased a 20% ownership stake in the Plaza via a Community-Development Initial Public Offering (CD-IPO) — one of the first of its kind in the country.
Another 20% is owned by the Neighborhood Unity Foundation (NUF) — a resident-led nonprofit working to ensure community benefit from local investments. Together, these groups play a central role in the ongoing management of the Plaza.
Diamond Community Investor Advisory Council
Jacqueline Kennedy
Chair
Lee King
Vice Chair
Joseph Kelly
Treasurer
Joyce Brown
Secretary
Edwina Hardiewa
Member
Judi Banks
Member
Zoneice Jones
Member
Serving our neighborhood
A Continuing Mission
In 2024, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation moved its offices to Market Creek Plaza, reaffirming its long-term commitment to the area. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1995, JCNI continues its mission to transform historically redlined neighborhoods into thriving, equitable communities through resident leadership, economic development, and cultural celebration. Learn more at jacobscenter.org.
